Wire tensioning apparatus



y 4, 1968 R. D. CARR 3,382,551

WIRE TENS IONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.A 055??- 0. 644 A,

BY zwym y 14, 1968 R. D. CARR 3,382,551

WIRE TENSIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.ff 49' A 05,??? 0. 644

UnitedStates Patent 3,382,551 WIRE TENSIONING APPARATUS Robert D. Carr,Box 1070, Victoria, Tex. 77901 Filed Dec. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 512,342 3Claims. (Cl. 2511S) The present invention relates generally to thecasting of articles such as concrete beams and the like, and inparticular to an apparatus for putting reinforcing wires under tensionprior to casting an article about the wires.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus whichlends itself to the eflicient tensioning of wires used as reinforcing inconcrete articles and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus whichperm-its the manufacture of concrete beams in any length, withparticular emphasis being placed upon the prestressed reinforcing wireswhich are cast in the beam.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wiretensioning apparatus for use with casting forms which is simple instructure, one sturdily constructed, one economically feasible, and onewhich is highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description when taken in connectionwith the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in section of the apparatus according to the presentinvention showing it in a condition of use,

FIGURE 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the invention,

FIGURE 3 is a view in section of another portion of the invention,

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view partly in section showing the upperportion of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is a view taken on the line 55 of FIG- URE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of FIG- URE 4,

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the actuating stud beingpulled from the cast article,

FIGURE 8 is a view taken on the line 88 of FIG- URE 7, and

FIGURE 9 is a View of one of the rollers removed from the trackway ofFIGURE 6.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, in FIGURE 1, theapparatus of the present invention is designated generally by thereference numeral 10 and it comprises an elongated tunnel member 12having a slot 14 in the roof thereof, the roof being designated by thenumeral 16.

In FIGURE 2 there is shown the lower portion of a casting form 18 for aconcrete beam, the form 18 including a base plate 20, vertical sidewalls 22 and 24,

upper side wall portions 26 and 28, and web wall portions 30 and 32.

The base plate 20 straddles two channel iron members 34 and 36 and issecured thereto by welding or other convenient means. The channelmembers 34 and 36- are supported upon a block 38 having a slot 40extending longitudinally therealong and in registry with the slot 14 andthe roof 16 of the tunnel member 12.

A trackway 42 is provided in the underface of the roof 16 bridging theslot 14.

The exact form of construction employed in the trackway 42 is immaterialand as shown in FIGURE 2, one form of the trackway 42 consists in a pairof I-beams 44 and 46 arranged in parallel spaced relation and providingmeans for supporting a rolling carriage 48 between the facing flanges ofsuch I-beams 44 and 46.

3,382,551 Patented May 14, 1968 The carriage 48 includes a solid frame50', a bottom cushion plate 52, and a wheel 54 at each corner of theframe 50.

Movable within the form 18 is an upright tensioning member 56 havingfingers thereon, at 58, for engaging wires or cables 60 as waspreviously described in my Patent No. 3,013,322.

The member 56 is provided in its lower end with a threaded bore 62receiving the upper end portion of an actuator stud 64.

A hydraulic cylinder assembly 66, constituting a prime mover, isoperatively connected to the stud 64 for effecting a downward pullingmovement on the tensioning member 56. The hydraulic cylinder assembly 66is supported in the tunnel member 12 on conventional means such as rails68 and 70 embedded in the walls of the tunnel member 12. In FIGURE 3 theassembly 66 is shown in detail and it is seen to consist in an outercylinder 72 having a bottom plate 74 and a top plate 76 through whichextends a sleeve 78 circumposed about a shaft 80. The lower end of thesleeve 78 carries a piston 82 and conduits 84 and 86 convey air or fluidunder pressure from a reversible control valve assembly 88.

Mounted on the end of the sleeve 78 remote from the piston 82 is an openhousing r90 through the sides of which is accessible a split nut 92 anda ring 94 surrounding the nut 92 and holding it in position on the shaftwhich is an extension of the actuating stud 64.

In use, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, the hydraulic cylinder assembly 66is moved along the tunnel member 12 by means of the rolling carriage 48and it is positioned so as to permit the insertion of the stud 64upwardly through one of the apertures provided in the form base plate20. To the upper end of the stud 64 is secured the tensioning member 56and the cables 60 are engaged under the fingers 58 as in FIGURE 4 beforethe actuation of the hydraulic cylinder assembly 66.

Adjacent each end of the tunnel member 12 is a support 96 for securementof the adjacent ends of the cables 60. At the other end of the tunnelmember 12 is another identical support or other means for holding thecables 60.

Next, the nut 92 is adjusted on the shaft 80 so as to bring the housinginto bearing engagement with the carriage 48 with the tensioning member56 in the relaxed or up position. Now, with the introduction ofhydraulic fluid or air under pressure into the upper end of thehydraulic cylinder, the piston 82 will be moved downwardly and thetensioning member 56 will be drawn to the position shown in FIGURE 2,placing all of the cables 68 under a predetermined stress.

The nut 92 may now be used to securely lock the tensioning member 56 inthe down position and the concrete or other casting material may bepoured into the form 18 and allowed to set.

After the article to be cast has been permitted to set, the stud 64 maybe unscrewed from the member 56 and the hole left in the article castmay be filled with cement in the conventional manner.

While only a preferred form of the invention is shown and describedother forms of the invention are contemplated and numerous changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invent-ion as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a casting apparatus including an elongated form, one wall of saidform being provided with apertures, means adjacent each end of said formfor support of reinforcing wires when said wires are suspended withinsaid form, and a tensioning member disposed within said form, saidmember having wire engaging fingers thereon adapted to engage saidwires, one end of said member having a threaded bore for securementthereto of an actuator stud, a tunnel member extending longitudinally ofsaid form and having a slot in the wall contiguous to the apertured wallof said form, a trackway on said wall in bridging relation with respectto said slot, a carriage rollable on said trackway, a stud extendingthrough said slot and carriage and adapted to have the portion adjacentone end inserted into a selected aperture of said form wall and to bethreadably engaged in said tensioning member bore, and a prime moverdevice connected to said tensioning member adjacent to and engaged withthe portion of said stud adjacent the other end thereof, said devicebeing adapted to bear against said carriage so as to effect a pullingmovement on said stud when actuated.

2. In a casting apparatus including an elongated form, one wall of saidform being provided with apertures, means adjacent each end of said formfor support of reinforcing wires when said wires are suspended withinsaid form, and a tensioning member disposed within said form, saidmember having wire engaging fingers thereon adapted to engage saidwires, one end of said member having a threaded bore for securementthereto of an actuator stud, a tunnel member extending longitudinally ofand below said form and having a slot in the wall contiguous to theapertnred wall of said form, a trackway on said wall in bridgingrelation with respect to said slot, a carriage rollable on saidtrackway, a stud extending through said slot and carriage and adapted tohave the portion adjacent one end inserted into a selected aperture ofsaid form wall and to be threadably engaged in said tensioning memberbore, and a prime mover device connected to said tensioning memberadjacent to and engaged with the portion of said stud adjacent the otherend thereof, said device being adapted to bear against said carriage soas to effect a pulling movement on said stud when actuated.

3. In a casting apparatus including an elongated form, one wall of saidform being provided with apertures, means adjacent each end of said formfor support of reinforcing wires when said wires are suspended withinsaid form, and a tensioning member disposed within said form, saidmember having wire engaging fingers thereon adapted to engage saidwires, one end of said member having a threaded bore for securernentthereto of an actuator stud, a tunnel member extending longitudinally ofsaid form and having a slot in the wall contiguous to the apertured wallof said form, a trackway on said wall in bridging relation with respectto said slot, a carriage rolla'ble on said trackway, a stud extendingthrough said slot and carriage and adapted to have the portion adjacentone end inserted into a selected aperture of said form Wall and to bethreadably engaged in said tensioning member bore, a prime mover deviceconnected to said tensioning member adjacent to and engaged with theportion of said stud adjacent the other end thereof, said device beingadapted to bear against said carriage so as to etfect a pulling movementon said stud when actuated, and releasable lock means threadably engagedwith said stud for holding said tensioning. member in the tensionapplied position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,958,507 11/1960 Hartup 25-1 183,050,283 8/1962 Tumey 25-118 XR 3,286,419 11/1966 Eriksson 251l8 XRWlLLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A CASTING APPARATUS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FORM, ONE WALL OF SAIDFORM BEING PROVIDED WITH APERTURES, MEANS ADJACENT ECH END OF SAID FORMFOR SUPPORT OF REINFORCING WIRES WHEN SAID WIRES ARE SUSPENDED WITHINSAID FORM, AND A TENSIONING MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FORM, SAIDMEMBER HAVING WIRE ENGAGING FINGERS THEREON ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAIDWIRES, ONE END OF SAID MEMBER HAVING A THREADED BORE FOR SECUREMENTTHERETO OF AN ACTUATOR STUD, A TUNNEL MEMBER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OFSAID FORM AND HAVING A SLOT IN THE WALL CONTIGUOUS TO THE APERTURED WALLOF SAID FORM, A TRACKWAY ON SAID WALL IN BRIDGING RELATION WITH RESPECTTO SAID SLOT, A CARRIAGE ROLLABLE ON SAID TRACKWAY, A STUD EXTENDINGTHROUGH SAID SLOT AND CARRIAGE AND ADAPTED TO HAVE THE PORTION ADJACENTONE END INSERTED INTO A SELECTED APERTURE OF SAID FORM WALL AND TO BETHREADABLY ENGAGED IN SAID TENSIONING MEMBER BORE, AND A PRIME MOVERDEVICE CONNECTED TO SAID TENSIONING MEMBER ADJACENT TO AND ENGAGED WITHTHE PORTION OF SAID STUD ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID DEVICEBEING ADAPTED TO BEAR AGAINST SAID CARRIAGE SO AS TO EFFECT A PULLINGMOVEMENT ON SAID STUD WHEN ACTUATED.